Two peas in a pod — History at its best.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few days with my 82yr old grandparents. My grandma has had a bombardment of recent Dr. appointments. As a nurse practitioner, I usually manage from afar the medical care of these two historic beings. However, the most recent situation required my actual physical matter to be present. I dropped off the kids with my parents and hopped into my grandparent’s sporty car (no, really they have it going on in the vehicle world)and so began our journey.

Grandma deep in discussion

As we drove to the appointments (s) we had a lot of time to talk and reflect on life. I sat and listened to their memories and laughed at their interaction which has been perfected from over 60 years of marriage. I was captured by my grandpap’s loving concern for his aging wife. I intently watched the two of them as they walked side by side, the 82 years apparent in their physical frames. I was hoping to burn the image of the two of them, together into my mind. The reality of the saying “Nothings lasts forever” was hitting me and I began to thank God for the blessing of time, time with these two that I have loved my entire life. I began to think of age and how our society views the elderly. I thought of the time in my early 20s when I called some elderly stranger who cut me off an “old fart” and was chastised by my husband, whose culture is to respect the elderly and value their age. I thought of the many photos I looked at of my grandparents in their younger years. My grandpap fit and muscular, active to a fault. My grandma classy and beautiful with hair and make-up applied to perfection. Today they are the same people in aging vessels. I thought of the way our society devalues the elderly and ignores their voice. Voices with so much wisdom and information. I thought of the cherished time my own children have experienced with my grandparents from putting “fashionable” make-up (which turned out clown like) on a more than willing nanny to building airplanes with pap in the famous work shed. It is great joy that my grandparents bring the kids. Joy unspeakable but evident in their smiles and laughter. I thought of all the ties to past generations and memories that these two will take with them when they depart. Past generations who I know nothing about yet, are responsible in part for my existence. I thought about life and how important each day is past, present and future. The past is our certainty. It was but is not any longer and therefore should not define what we do in our present of opportunity or our future of possibility I will cherish the memories with my grandparents that have passed, use my present opportunities to create more and look to the future of possibilities!

Yes, I am thankful for the blessing of time with these two peas in a pod as they truly are History at its best!!!!